Similarities Between Othello And Desdemona

However strong Othello's and Desdemona's marriage seems, it begins to deteriorate as a result of Othello's self-pride. At first, Iago convinces Othello that Desdemona is unfaithful. Iago suggests to Othello that Desdemona slept with Cassio. Iago uses a handkerchief given by Othello to Desdemona that he got Emilia to get for him as his proof against

Emilia acts similarly when she defies her husband in the final Act of the play. She is of a middle class and serves as a maid and a loyal friend to Desdemona. Her character is somewhat different as she follows her husband, Iago, diligently but speaks disparagingly of men and believes them to be foolish and perverse. This is particularly evident in Act 4 Scene 3 “let husbands know their wives have sense like them: they see, and smell, and have palates both for sweet and sour” and “what is it that they do when they change us for others? Is it sport? I think it is”. She expresses the inequality between men and women living in this time

From the very beginning of the drama anyone can see the love Emilia has for Desdemona. Emilia is always there whenever Desdemona needed her the most. Emilia has shown her loyalty towards not only to Desdemona but to Othello as well. Desdemona and Emilia get closer when Desdemona starts to have issues with Othello. Emilia is always there to listen and to give advice to young Desdemona whenever she needs it the most. All though, Emilia does one act of dishonesty towards Desdemona by taking her handkerchief which Othello gave to her. Emilia does try to regain her loyalty by revealing her husband’s intentions towards Othello and everyone else. Once she did it was too late, Othello already had killed Desdemona for falsely accusing her of being a “whore.” Even though, Emilia finally cleaned her best friend’s name it was too late to bring Desdemona back to life. As any best friend would do she sacrificed her own life for Desdemona. Her husband, Lago, kills her by stabbing her in the back for revealing his true intentions. Emilia can finally rest in peace knowing that she cleaned her best friend’s name and that they will be together in the afterlife.

Her silence causes Othello to become in rage with his wife this leads us to believe that Emilia is a liar. Although Emilia doesn’t intentionally lie to Desdemona she fails to tell her that she took the handkerchief as a token to win praise from Iago. This causes conflict between Desdemona and Othello just as it is the reason for Othello’s jealousy.

In Othello, Act IV, scene ii and iii, Emilia, Iago’s wife, reveals her opinion about relationships to the reader as she attempts to comfort Desdemona. She indefinitely believes that many men, as well as women, are frequently guilty of deception and betrayal of their partner. By this part of the play, Othello’s suspicions of Desdemona’s unfaithfulness have greatly increased, and he begins to accuse her of cheating on him. When Desdemona persistently denies his accusations, Othello becomes enraged. He sarcastically asks for her pardon and claims that he took her to be the “cunning whore of Venice” (Act IV, scene ii, line 88). Desdemona is heartbroken by her

In addition, Emilia proves her underrated intelligence by standing up for what she believes is right. Desdemona, Othello's wife, and Emilia's relationship grows because of her great loyalty towards her. At the end of the play Emilia stands up for Desdemona because Othello kills her. She explains Desdemona's true love for him and would never do anything to hurt him, which proves Desdemona's innocence. Not only does Emilia stand up for Desdemona, but she also voices her opinion to Othello. Emilia shows no fear standing up to Othello to prove to him that his wife has always been faithful. At first Othello finds it implausible but then Emilia says, "Thou art rash as fire, to say that she was false. O, she was heavenly true!" (Shakespeare V: ii, 165-166).Women are looked at in Othello as unintelligent and unfaithful, but Emilia changes that stereotype by standing up to the men. From the start Emilia and Iago's relationship always seemed rocky. Emilia's confidence in herself shows that she is not afraid to stand up to her husband. Emilia realizes the danger she puts herself in when she stands up to Iago. In order to make things right, she does whatever it takes, even if that means ruining their marriage or taking her life.

Coupled with Emilia’s obedience to Iago, his ploy can finally convince Othello of Desdemona’s unfaithfulness. Emilia does not agree with her husband, Iago very much, but she does obey him when she has the opportunity to do so. However, Emilia picks up Desdemona’s handkerchief, with no thought, only that it will please her husband, “what he will do with it /heaven knows, not I; /I nothing but please his fantasy,” (OTH.III.III.297-289). Subsequently, this handkerchief may not have much meaning to Emilia at this moment, but once she finally discovers the truth about her husband, she immediately accuses her husband of being a villain, and dies by his hands. Correspondingly, Emilia is also loyal to her husband, to such an extent as to lie to Desdemona about where her handkerchief has gone. As Desdemona worryingly searches for her handkerchief, Emilia denies knowing where she could have lost it, and suggests a different reason for Othello’s uneasiness, “I know no madam… /Is he not jealous?” (OTH.III.IV.14, 20). Emilia knows where the handkerchief has gone, but remains silent because her husband, Iago has told her to. As a result of Emilia’s loyalty Iago does not need to worry about others discovering where Othello’s handkerchief

Unfortunately, later Emilia is manipulated by her husband. Iago, in planning his strategy following the dismissal of Cassio, says, “My wife must move for Cassio to her mistress; I’ll set her on”; and she shortly thereafter gives the lieutenant access to Desdemona: “I will bestow you where you shall have time / To speak your bosom freely.” Emilia is sheepish at times: She announces to Desdemona, who is with Cassio, “Madam, here comes my lord,” referring to the Moor. Emilia functions basically as a servant to Desdemona and a dupe for Iago. She freely gives him the handkerchief which he has asked her to steal, knowing quite plainly that the loss would pain her mistress:

Throughout the play, Desdemona displays nothing but obedience to Othello, following his every order even as he grows cold and violent towards her, banishing her to her room. Further, Emilia demonstrates the same obedience to Iago as she steals the handkerchief from Desdemona and assists Iago in turning Othello against his wife. Both Desdemona and Emilia, however, are destroyed by their initial disobedience; Desdemona’s betrayal of her father in marrying Othello, even for love, causes Othello to see her as a deceptive, disobedient wife which leads him to kill her while Emilia finally disobeys Iago and tells Othello of Desdemona’s innocence, causing Iago to kill her. Shakespeare uses the deaths of Desdemona and Emilia to show the suffocating constraints of a society driven by violence and war on women beyond their roles. Similarly, Shakespeare uses Desdemona’s sexuality and the brazen depiction of her unconventional sexuality to again explore how a male-dominated world cannot accept the sexual nature of women.

n Shakespeare's play Othello many issues are undertaken and explored. The three women play a vital role in this. Only one of the women in this play survives. All the women have no separate identity within the play; all three are married or associated with a male character. Bianca is the mistress of Cassio, Emilia is married to Iago and Desdemona is married with Othello. According to the time that the play was written in and the general hierarchy within Venetian society men hold all the power and women are considered to be of low intellect. Yet it is the women that speak the most sense throughout the play and it is also the women that are able to trust other characters in the play. Each woman represents a different social level, Desdemona

Emilia without hesitation expresses to Othello that Desdemona is honest and loyal. “I durst, my lord, to wager she is honest, / Lay down my soul at stake. If you think other, “ (4.1. 13-14). Emilia throughout the play becomes more and more loyal to her mistress and her character really comes alive in The Willow Scene. The two women have a moment when they share each others thoughts and it is a time when Desdemona really needs someone to lean on and Emilia is there to ease her mind. Desdemona is very emotional and confused with why her husband is accusing her of being a whore and Emilia is the one who Desdemona is expressing her depressed sadness too. “Good faith, how foolish are our minds! / If I do die before thee, prithee shroud me / In one of these same sheets” (4.3.22-24). Desdemona is losing hope and seems to sense that death is near her and Emilia quickly tells Desdemona to talk to her, “Come, come, you talk”. Desdemona confides in Emilia, which forms a bond between both the women and that is something that is rare in many of Shakespeare’s

When Othello summons Desdemona and dismisses Emilia, “Leave procreants alone . . .; / Cough or cry hem if anybody come. / Your mystery, your mystery! . . .” (IV.2.28-30), he not only dismisses Emilia, accuses Desdemona of infidelity, and betrays his own insane bitterness, but he converts the marriage into a

Furthermore, she realizes that she has played an unintentional part in the tragedy by following Iago’s request to steal Desdemona’s handkerchief. It has all been a plot by Iago to destroy Othello, and this is finally revealed to everyone, including Emilia (Kennedy and Gioia, V. II. 179-182, 187-189). To see Emilia come to full awareness is to see first the emotional breakdown caused by this revelation, and then to see it begin to build, as she shows heartbreak, guilt, awareness of betrayal, and recognition of supreme cruelty on the part of someone she has trusted with her life. She finally speaks with the words, “Villainy, villainy, villainy!” (Kennedy and Gioia, V. II. 197), knowing she has to persuade everyone of Desdemona’s innocence. Recognition again occurs in Act V Scene II when Emilia hears Othello mention the handkerchief, after he has killed Desdemona: "With that recognizance and pledge of love / Which I first gave her. I saw it in his hand; / It was a handkerchief, an antique token / My father gave my mother" (Kennedy and Gioia, V. II. 221-224). At the same time, the attending visitors and soldiers, who have been called into action by Emilia’s cries in Act V, Scene II, are also realizing the truth of these terrible events. The reversal occurs as Emilia discloses that it was she who stole Desdemona’s handkerchief, “She give it Cassio? No, alas, I found it, / And I did give’t my husband” (Kennedy and Gioia, V. II 236-237). Immediately Othello knows that

Despite being Desdemona’s mistress, Emilia shares a close relationship her. Emilia’s close relationship with Desdemona allows for reader’s to obtain a greater insight into Desdemona’s thoughts and emotions. In one particular scene, Desdemona and Emilia are deep in conversation about the infidelity of women; Desdemona questions Emilia if she would ever consider to “do such a deed for all the world” to which Emilia replies “The world’s a huge thing; it is a great price for a small vice” (IV.III.75-80). This scene portrays the vast difference between Emilia and Desdemona as wives, it showcases that Emilia does not mind being an unfaithful wife to Iago if the price of adultery were set high, because she considers adultery is not a wrong deed if it were to make her husband “a monarch"; however, Desdemona believes otherwise and would curse herself if she were to ever “do such a wrong for the whole world” (IV.III.75-80). Their conversation brings out the character in Desdemona which represents her loyalty and purity to

(Matthew 6:24). She steals the handkerchief (3.3.294-303) aware that her mistress will be in distress (3.4.18) upon the discovery that her handkerchief is missing. Iago cautiously camouflages his malicious intentions of making Desdemona appear guilty in Othello’s eyes by advising her to “…not weep,” (4.2.124) in front of him (Othello). Cassio’s selfish desires and yearns to look alluring within the community came at the cost of Desdemona’s and Othello’s deaths; two of his closest friends. With the people she thought to be friends, betraying her one